Ardis Cole Series

This is book #1 in the new Ardis Cole mystery series. Ardis is an archaeologist (a female Indiana Jones), and in this adventure she travels to Egypt to help excavate a minor tomb of ancient origin recently discovered by her mentor, Jane Darvin. When Jane is murdered, Ardis must assume responsibility for the project. With the help of mysterious Blake Lydon, She must unravel the tomb’s mystery - an ancient secret concerning two miniature obelisks of gold hidden by Queen Hatsheput’s lover, Senmut, over 2,000 years ago. As Ardis uncovers the ancient mystery she finds herself personally involved in a modern action tale of hatred, murder, and revenge.

Ardis travels to China to help her elderly friend, Dr. Yong Po, locate a Han dynasty cave tomb. Her American associate, Grant Merlin, fails to join her as planned. Grant had fallen out of favor with the University when a small jade miniature was stolen from a traveling exhibit under his charge. Sheri, Grant’s ex-wife joins Ardis instead of Grant. When Sheri is attacked by someone wearing a crimson mask, she swears Grant has followed her to China to seek revenge. As Ardis unravels the tragedy of a century old crime of passion, a woman stolen from her homeland and murdered by her captor, it seems to eerily reflect what is happening in the present...

Ardis travels to Scotland to do a facial reconstruction on a skull her friend Bruce McBrier has discovered in the woods outside his ancestral castle. Because of an ancient ax buried in the skull, Bruce presumes the skull to be a historical relic, possibly the remains of a medieval ancestor murdered in battle. When Ardis makes the shocking discovery that the remains are that of a more recent murder, Constable Mark Ridley asks her help in going ahead with the facial reconstruction in hopes the victim can be identified. But some one is willing to go to great lengths...even murder...to keep the skull’s deadly secret...

When Ardis is sent to South Dakota to handle a bequest of pioneer and Sioux artifacts left to the University of Chicago by wealthy private collector Anthony LaMoine, she gets a load of trouble that she hadn’t expected - a stolen ruby, a friend’s missing son, and a skeleton in the cellar! Ardis learns that Anthony had an adopted son. For reasons unknown to Ardis, his son ran away from home during his teenage years. “Find the son,” the housekeeper tells her, “and you’ll find the thief.” But is the son really the guilty party? And is the mysterious writer-historian Seldon Drake really the man he claims to be - or an imposter?

Ardis Cole braves a sudden blizzard on her way to the isolated Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to help her friend, Ella White Owl, locate her missing niece. Carrie, an art teacher at Shadow Pass High School, appears to have simply vanished without a trace. Medicine man Jim-Walks-Alone shares with Ardis his disturbing vision about a “killer of eagles”, which to the Sioux represents an evil person, and a destroyer of all that is good. Ardis soon finds the girl’s wrecked car deep in the canyon, a dead man who was shot through the head was behind the wheel. But there is no sign of Carrie. Ardis’ search for Carrie leads her on a hunt for a rare relic stolen from the local church, a wild chase through the badlands, and a face-to-face confrontation with the “killer of eagles.”

Ardis Cole is summoned to Russia to help Grant Merlin’s friend, Nikolai, locate a priceless marble statue called Neva. The life-sized sculpture vanished seven years ago along with the artist, Nikolai’s uncle Treve Savik. Most people believe Treve destroyed his masterpiece then committed suicide after being jilted by the statue’s beautiful model, Varina Morinsky. On the way to the Savik mansion Ardis is nearly pushed to her death in the Moscow subway. Once in St. Petersburg Ardis discovers the grave of a murder victim, buried for seven years. The search for the missing sculpture also turns into a hunt for a dangerous killer...

When Ardis Cole’s colleague, Red Michels, meets with a fatal accident, she volunteers to take over his project. Ardis flies to Galveston, Texas, where in 1858 the old clipper ship, The Fortune, wrecked in a hurricane. Known to be aboard the sunken ship is a fabulous gem--the Sea Star Emerald--once stolen by the infamous pirate, Jean Lafitte. Ardis soon discovers that modern-day treasure hunters are determined to beat her to the jewel. After Ardis retrieves the gem from the ocean depths, the Sea Star Emerald is pirated again! This time Ardis finds herself accused of the theft. With time running out, hounded by a relentless sheriff, she must face a vicious killer in order to prove her innocence....